Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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482. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to correspondence issued from this Deputy on 29 June 2020 regarding the cancellation of school transport services to a school (details supplied), the reason for the decision; if she has raised the matter with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport; if alternative school transport will be provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18612/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. 

In the 2019/20 school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special educational needs, were transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres at a cost of over €219m in 2019.

The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.

Dublin Bus has confirmed to Bus Éireann that the service referred by the Deputy is not part of the School Transport Scheme.  The service was one of a number services operated by private operators on behalf of Dublin Bus and following a review of the services it was decided not to extend contracts for the new school year.  Dublin Bus has written individually to each affected school, explaining the rationale for the discontinuation of the services and outlining alternative transport options where applicable.